The benefits of honey don’t just stop at
the satisfaction of our taste buds. The powerful healing attributes of honey
have long been used to promote health and healing. Both the holy Quran and
Hadiths (Prophetic traditions) refer to honey as a healer of disease. In the
Quran we read, “And thy Lord taught the bee to build its cells in hills, on
trees and in people’s habitations… there issues from within their bodies a
drink of varying colors, wherein is healing for humankind. Verily in this is a
Sign for those who give thought.”

Additionally, in Sahih Bukhari we read that the
Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said: “Honey is a
remedy for every illness and the Quran is a remedy for all illness of the mind,
therefore I recommend to you both remedies, the Quran and honey.”

Honey offers incredible antiseptic, antioxidant and
immune boosting properties for our body and health. It not only fights
infection and helps tissue healing but also helps reduce inflammation and is
often used for treating digestive problems such as indigestion, stomach ulcers
and gastroenteritis.

Researchers from around the world are discovering new
and exciting medical benefits of honey and other healing items produced in the
hive such as propolis, royal jelly and bee pollen.

As in all foods, the health benefits of honey largely
depend on its quality. Raw honey, the purest form, comes straight from the
comb and is placed into the honey extractor or press. This is unheated,
unpasteurized and unprocessed honey. Because it is raw, it tends to have fine
textured crystals in it that occur naturally when glucose, one of three main
sugars in honey, spontaneously precipitates out of the super saturated honey
solution. If your raw honey crystallizes, simply place the container in hot
water for 15 minutes and this will help return it to its liquid state.

Most honey found on supermarket shelves today is not raw
honey, but rather commercial honey which has been heated and filtered so that
it has a smoother, more appealing look to it. When honey is heated and
processed in such a way it will maintain a long shelf life but the vitamins and
minerals which benefit the body’s immune system are largely destroyed in the
process. As such, it is not as nutritious as raw honey.

Honey varieties differ widely in color, texture and
flavor. Comb honey, taken straight from the hive, is the rawest and purest
form of honey. Its characteristic hexagon-shaped wax cells that are filled
with honey can be chewed like gum.

Liquid honey is the most recognizable and easiest to
find. It is pressed from the comb and filtered to remove any particles such as
pollen grains, wax or crystals.

Creamed honey, also known as whipped honey, granulated
honey or honey fondant, has a smooth and creamy consistency. Cream honey does
not drip as does liquid honey, and can be spread easily.

The color of honey, largely determined by the floral
source of the nectar from which the bees have collected it, is graded into
light, amber and dark categories, with darker varieties being more medicinally
potent. In general, lighter honey varieties, such as wild flower honey that
has been collected from the nectar of several flowers, have a milder flavor. The
darker varieties, such as buckwheat honey, collected from the nectar of the
flower of the buckwheat grain, have a more robust and stronger flavor. Approximately
23 common varieties of honey include buckwheat, clover, linden, sage, tupelo
and wildflowers.

In addition to carbohydrates, honey contains protein
(including enzymes) and amino acids, and is high in vitamins and minerals. Some
of the vitamins present in honey are B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin,
pantothenic acid and certain amino acids. The minerals include calcium,
copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. While
the amino acid content is minor, the broad spectrum of approximately 18
essential and nonessential amino acids present in honey is unique and varies by
floral source. Also present are polyphenols, that can act as antioxidants and
play a role in cleansing the body of free radicals and reactive compounds that
can contribute to serious illness such as cancer and heart disease. It is
believed that honey contains a similar range of antioxidants that are found in
green vegetables and fruit including broccoli, spinach, apples, oranges and
strawberries.

To fight high cholesterol, look no farther than
buckwheat honey. In their 2004 study, Effect of honey consumption on plasma
antioxidant status in human subjects, biochemist H. Gross and his colleagues
from the University of California, Davis, examined the blood results of 25
participants who were each given four tablespoons of buckwheat honey daily for
29 days in addition to their regular diets. At given intervals, samples taken
from them following honey consumption showed that there was a direct link
between the subjects’ honey consumption and the level of polyphenolic
antioxidants in their blood. With its high levels of mineral, vitamin and high
antioxidant content, a small amount of buckwheat honey added daily could help
lower cholesterol by increasing blood levels of protective antioxidant
compounds in the body.

People with diabetes often question whether they can
take honey. In his book, The Honey Revolution – Restoring the Health of Future
Generations, Ron Fessenden MD says that a tablespoon of honey consists of
nearly the same carbohydrate content as a cupful of quartered raw apple, and
that a diabetic patient can be assured that consuming honey will produce a
significantly lower blood sugar response than an equivalent amount of sugar or
other glucose-rich starches. The balance of sugars and the presence of
multiple co-factors in honey serve to make this natural food quite different
from table sugar, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or other artificial
sweeteners.

Dr. Fessenden goes on to say that when consumed
regularly over several weeks or months, honey will lower blood sugar and
glycated hemogobin levels. He says that generally adding three-to-five
tablespoons of honey a day to the diet and eliminating most sugar and HFCS
should be recommended to people with Type 2 Diabetes.

For centuries, pure honey has been used in children as a
home remedy to help alleviate some of the symptoms associated with the common
cold. In the December 2006 study on cough suppressants, Effect of Honey and
Dextromethorphan on Nocturnal Cough and Sleep from Penn State College of
Medicine researchers compared honey to over-the-counter medicines for
symptomatic relief of upper respiratory infection, such as cough, in children
2-to-18-years of age. The conclusion was that honey provided a safe
alternative for children. Honey outperformed cough medicine in offering a
better night’s sleep and reducing severity of cough. Across the board, parents
in the study rated honey as significantly better than cough medications or no
treatment for symptomatic relief of their children’s nighttime cough and sleep
difficulties.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and other children’s
health professionals have raised concerns about common over-the-counter remedies,
the safety of these cough suppressant products and whether the benefits justify
any potential risks from the use of these products in children, especially in
children under 2 years of age. Ian Paul MD, M.Sc., a pediatrician, researcher
and associate professor of pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine and
Penn State Children’s Hospital said, “Additional studies should certainly be
considered, but we hope that medical professionals will consider the positive
potential of honey as a treatment...” However, do not feed honey-containing
products or use honey for infants under one year of age.

In caring for a wound, the American Journal of
Dermatology, in Honey in the Treatment of Wounds and Burns says honey applied
topically to a wound can promote healing just as well, or in many cases better
than conventional ointments and dressings. Its anti-inflammatory properties
reduce swelling and pain while its antibacterial properties prevent infection.

To keep your energy levels up use honey as an excellent
source of easily assimilated energy; honey is one of the most effective forms
of carbohydrates to ingest just prior to exercise and to replenish your energy
levels. The glucose contained in honey is absorbed by the body quickly, giving
an immediate energy boost, while the fructose content is absorbed more slowly,
providing sustained energy. Honey has also been found to keep levels of blood
sugar fairly constant compared to other types of sugar, and it appears to be a
carbohydrate source that is relatively mild in its effects upon blood sugar
compared to other carbohydrate sources.

Honey has been used for thousands of years to help calm
a child’s cough, aid in cholesterol relief and digestion and to promote healing
of wounds. Honey, in its purest form truly is a head-to-toe cure that will
surely be used more and more in the years to come.

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